Cause and Effect
by ChocoFrogs
Summary: Hermione does something that she has never done before, and has to suffer the consequences.


**Round 8 - The Wonderful World of Head Canons**

Do you remember when we asked for a head canon from each team member? Well, this is the round we are using it in. But we aren't just sharing it with your team or your opposing team, like you might have thought – we are sharing it with the whole league. Meaning anybody could get your head canon (someone in your team, someone in your opposing team, someone you don't know, or if you're lucky, maybe even yourself.) Everything has been randomly generated and will be PM'd to the first person to post in this thread. **We will distribute in groups of 8 in the order of teams replied to this thread (one person from each team post here with your team's name).** Your prompts MUST be used in the order received (eg. Captain will use the first one, Keeper the 2nd and so on). Good luck and have fun!

 **Position: Beater 2**

 **Beater 2: Chaser Three, WritingBlock, Cannons: During sixth year, Hermione, Theo, and Blaise had formed a study group in the library.**

 **Word Count: 1100**

 **Prompts:**

 **8\. (restriction) no Hogwarts staff is to be mentioned**

 **15\. (object) suitcase**

* * *

"Hermione! Stop panicking, you'll be fine. You do great on Transfiguration tests like these. Besides, I bet you'll do better than the pair of us combined." Ron said, pointing to him and Harry.

"Hey!" Harry elbowed Ron in the side.

"I'm actually not so sure about this one, gu—"

She was cut off by Ron and Harry attempting to squeeze the life out of her.

"Guys. I'm serious." Hermione pushed them away.

"Whoa, watch out, Harry," Ron said with a grin. "She's stronger than she looks."

Harry reached out and wrapped his hand around Hermione's upper arm. "Reckon she could take care of you the way she did Malfoy?"

As they tried to make Hermione laugh and forget, so much information went through her head. The thought of flunking a test made her shudder. However, it took time to get nonverbal spells perfect, and she had been so busy.

"Okay, guys, we can study together if you want, but I won't wait up for you." Hermione sighed.

Harry and Ron shrugged and continued to devour their plate of food.

Hermione ate a quick dinner and ran straight to the Gryffindor Common Room.

"No running in the halls, Granger," a Ravenclaw prefect called.

She smiled, nodding. "Sorry, I forgot."

She then turned and peeked around the corner, waiting for the prefect to leave. _Come on! Walk faster!_ Once he was gone, she sprinted, ignoring the looks she got from the seventh-years walking by.

She plopped down on her bed. She pulled out her Muggle-style suitcase and searched for her Transfiguration textbook, and when she finally found it, opened it so quickly she almost ripped the binding. Hermione flipped through the pages, reading all the text she could find on nonverbal spells, trying to practice as much as she could. It was nine o'clock. _This_ _has_ _never_ _happened_ _to_ _me_. _Ever_. With prefect duties and the Slug Club, the upcoming exam must have slipped her mind.

 _Lumos_. Her wand gave out a weak light, but she knew it would never be enough. She read until ten, when her eyelids started to fall periodically. She laid on her back, lifting the textbook as high above her in an attempt to keep herself awake. It was no use. Even with the threat of a failed exam if she didn't study, she quickly fell asleep.

Hermione shot up, thinking it was all a dream. The books sprawled out on the foot of her bed told her it was no dream. Lucky for her—since she was practicing nonverbal spells—she didn't have to speak a word, but she occasionally succeeded in knocking something over with an errant spell and getting yelled at. She gave a huff of frustration at her sloppy work; her spells almost always worked perfectly the first try.

Once everyone in the girl's dormitory had enough of her, she moved downstairs into the common room and practiced conjuring and extinguishing the fire and illuminating her wand with the brightest possible light she could muster. Almost nothing worked as she wanted. She hadn't gotten all the information on how to do nonverbal spells memorized, nor the actual movements.

She had to wake up at six-thirty sharp to be able to get to Arithmancy on time. It was almost three am.

As much as Hermione loved reading, reading the same passages over and over again bored her, like it would anyone.

 _I'll_ _just_ _do_ _it_ _tomorrow_. Hermione sluggishly, trudged up the stairs, dropped all her stuff into her trunk and kicked it under the bed. Hermione thought as she collapsed onto her bed how much work she put in, and how little she'd get out of it. She reviewed everything she studied in her head, and then fell asleep for the night.

* * *

Hermione ran into Transfiguration, realizing that the test had already begun. What in the name of Merlin was wrong with her this week? She was never late. She quickly sat down. Looking down at her test, Hermione began to sweat nervously, answering whatever she could before time ran out.

She turned over her test. As it was collected, she stared at it magically float across the room. A few minutes later, it was returned.

* * *

Hermione walked out of Transfiguration with her returned parchment in hand, head hung down, her tired eyes looking at her feet. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ron striding up to her, the jolliest look on his face she had ever seen.

"So, Ron. You did well, I take it?"

"I'm not saying," he said, unsuccessfully trying to hide his giddiness. "I assume you got full marks."

"Why would I tell you?" she snapped.

"Because. You always brag about it."

"No I—" Hermione paused, knowing Ron was likely trying to draw her into an argument.

She and Ron continued to walk down the hall when Hermione snatched the parchment from his hands. Hermione knew she was acting childish, but she couldn't help it; she'd never gone into an exam so unprepared.

"Hey!"

Hermione dodged Ron's hand and quickly unrolled the parchment. "Well that's _a_ _lot_ better than you usually do. How did you—"

"I did _not_ cheat, if that's what you're implying." Ron said, eyeing Hermione's hand.

He grabbed both their papers at once and opened them. His eyes widened, glancing at the grade, and then at Hermione. She turned her head so he wouldn't have to see the tears forming in her eyes. He gave back the parchment without saying a word.

"Hey, Granger?" A soft voice spoke behind them.

Hermione wiped away her tears and turned around to find Theo Nott and Blaise Zabini standing behind her.

"Yes?" Hermione asked impatiently, staring at the shiny Slytherin badge on their robes.

"Don't get mad or anything," Nott said, holding up his hands as if in defense. "We just thought you might want to study with us. You know, to do better next time." They turned around to walk to the library.

"Wait," Hermione called, "what do you mean?"

"Since almost everyone did horribly," Zabini began, glancing warily at a smirking Ron, "we're allowed a retake."

Hermione's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "Well, it would be nice to have a proper study group,"

The boys turned toward the library and Hermione followed. It might not be the most conventional study group she'd ever been a part of, but anything was better than the disastrous study session the night before. At least she knew that, even though she was studying with the Slytherins, Draco Malfoy would sooner kiss a House-elf than turn up in the library.


End file.
